Yerala Projects Society, Sangli

Report of Project “Developing Kitchen Gardens to ensure nutritious intake for

the families living in drought prone areas”

Till September 2007

Kitchen Garden program has been launched in a systematic way. As

described in the project proposal rural people even though they are farmers, use very
few food combinations in their diet. This is because they lack in knowledge and
they don’t have access to the required ingredients. We focused the program on
these two aspects.

Implementation:
Identification of implementation team.

Program launch workshop.

Finalizing Kitchen Garden Design

Awareness meetings

Identification of Project Participants

Preparing Demonstration plot

Training of Project Participants

Baseline survey of PPs

Identification of Suppliers

Purchase of systems

Layout & fitting , supply of seeds & saplings

Monitoring
 To reach up to needy families we took the help of village
women’s groups, teachers, local medical practitioners in the beneficiary
identification process.

1. Awareness building meeting:

We have organized meetings at Morbagi, Pandozari, Tinkondi, Balgaon,
Bhivargi, Karjagi, Motewadi, Jalihal (Bk), Asangi turk, karewadi (K.B), karewadi
(T), Motewadi(K.B), Gulguenal etc. . Total 348 women , farmers were present in
the meeting. In the meeting it was explained that the aim of this project is to ensure
balanced diet to the malnourished and poor families. The project is to inculcate
preventive health care habits among rural people, nutritious food intake will be a
prominent part of this program. In the meetings the present food intake and it’s
effect on the body was discussed. Also various diseases and health disorders caused
by insufficient diet was discussed. At every place people were made to establish
link between their food intake and their health. Teachers were invited in the
meeting so that they could suggest the names of the children who are malnourished.
In the meeting names of the probable project participants were selected.
Local bodies like SHGs, farmer’s groups, teachers and VEC members participated
in the beneficiary selection process.. Participating families should have about 2000
sq.ft. land near their house. They should have some source of water required to
maintain kitchen garden. The beneficiary family must be willing to participate in
training, learn and adopt the new practices.

2. Training to the project participants:

 After the selection of beneficiaries we arranged one day training on kitchen
garden. In the first bacth 43 project participates including 35 women 5 farmers and 3
students were present. We discuss concept of kitchen garden, objectives, it’s need
etc. Direct access to nutritionally rich food, savings on food and decrease in health
expenses were discussed. One of the easiest ways of ensuring access to a healthy
diet that contains adequate macro-and micronutrients is to produce many different
kinds of foods in the kitchen garden. This is especially important in rural areas
where people have limited income-earning opportunities. Kitchen gardens are also
becoming an increasingly important source of food and income for poor households
urban areas.
Consuming a nutritionally adequate diet is vital for a healthy and active life.
Promoting appropriate diets and healthy lifestyles are central activities in reducing
malnutrition, and promoting nutritional well being for all.
First the theory part of the project was taken. Then the design of kitchen
garden was discussed. Location of every plant and the reason to plant at particular
place was discussed. Plantation in various shapes and sizes of plots were also
discussed. To gain practical experience, the participants made the layout of
demonstration plot at YPS campus.

Mr. MB Velapurkar, Mr. Ingleshwar, Mr. Dashal , Mr. Vitthal and Mrs.
Nalawade conducted the training.

3. Demonstration Unit:
A model kitchen garden has been established for demonstration purpose at
YPS campus, Jalihal. The kitchen garden is designed to provide sufficient
vegetables to the common staff mess run at the campus. We are getting fresh and
sufficient quantity of vegetables from 15th August 07. Fresh vegetable is picked
twice a day (just before cooking the food!). Following vegetables are planted
 - Spinach.
- Brinjal
- Okra Vegetable
- Fengureek
- Beans
- Bittergourd
- Tomatoes
- Chole, Rajma
- Fruit plants
Standard layout of kitchen garden is given below (this is in marathi, attached just to
see the layout).

Daily 6-7 persons visit this model kitchen Garden and get the
knowledge of doing it.

4. Kitchen Garden plots:

Once the project participant is identified, we conduct the baseline survey for
all the participants. This survey is essential to measure the impact and the progress
of the program. In the baseline survey format contains information about the
family, their economic condition, present access to nutritional ingredients/
vegetables, present health status of all the family members, present medical
expenses etc.
So far 51 participants have completed the installation and remaining 24
plots are in process.
We have trained three local youths in installation of the system. With the
help of these youth the beneficiaries install the system.
 While designing the system, gray water has been properly utilized.
Specific species like Colocasia Antiquorum , Acorus Calamus have been planted.
These local varieties are used in daily cooking.

5. People’s Participation:
There has been overwhelming response from the villages to this
program. Selection of beneficiaries was a tough job. Still with the support of
local people only needy families were selected to participate in the program.
The beneficiaries does their role of preparing the land, applying
manure, preparing the beds with a lot of interest. As entire support is being
provided in kind, they come to YPS campus to collect the material. We have seen
that there has been exchange of seeds among the beneficiaries!

6. Difficulties faced:

- Initially when the project was announced , people thought that this will
be an income generating activity like another project “sub-soil irrigation” which is
being implemented by YPS. People attended the meeting with that intension.
However we had guessed the same before, so our team was prepared to convince the
participants. Now every project participant is involved in the program to ensure
good health of his/her family.

- During the training it was shown to all the training how to fit the
irrigation system. When our staff visited first plots who installed the system, we
found lots of flaws. So we decided to train local youth who are already into
plumping activity. We identified three youths and after training them they have
been assigned the job of fitting the system.

- Beneficiaries are inclined to use chemical fertilizers to get maximum

output. In the training program Mr. Velapurkar explained the bad effects of
chemical fertilizers on human body. He also explained that the kitchen garden
project has been designed by considering organic inputs. He also assured that if
prescribed practices are adopted , every one will get the output enough to feed the
family as planned in the project.